


Oh, Danny Boy

by HeyimFay



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humour, Hurt Niall Horan, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-02-08 11:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyimFay/pseuds/HeyimFay
Summary: Niall has been seeing a man, Danny, for around 6 months.The boys like him.He seems nice.In public.Behind closed doors, he hits, kicks, punches and throws. Abuse is in his blood. But what’s stopping him from being caught? The threat of best friends.What happens when Niall actually has enough? Can he walk away... can he get away?Physical abuse is torture but when you turn your back on a snake it will inject its poison into each and every person you love.
Relationships: Niall Horan/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya, I haven’t written in years so here goes. The first 2 chapters are from a story I wrote like 4 years ago so if you’ve seen it on Wattpad don’t worry I’m not stealing, it’s mine.  
Enjoy x
> 
> *also, flashbacks in italics and thoughts in bold*
> 
> Hey I’m updating these chapters, few things have changed.

October 11, 2019.

Niall stood in the doorway of their shared flat. He lived with Liam, Louis and Harry. It was getting colder by the day, and soon snow would fall from the sky in tiny flakes. The flat was quite big, with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen that could fit 3 people at once, a huge lounge room and 4 bedrooms. Only 2 or 3 ever got used at one time, though. 

The rest of the boys, they were all in a relationship together. Except for Zayn. When he left the band things got a bit ugly, a bit awkward. But they worked their differences out and now hang out a whole lot more, almost like old times. He’s not into guys or poly relationships like the Liam, Harry and Louis but he understands and that’s all the boys can ask for. It wasn’t long after Zayn left that the three began to talk in a more personal, romantic tone than usual. Niall had yet to come out and was still figuring himself out, so he decided to find himself while they found each other. 

In their flat Niall had one room, and the other 3 were usually split into one or two rooms at night. Sometimes someone needed space and that meant a night on their own, and sometimes someone needed extra support so the three would clamber in together. Niall wasn't a part of that, but he fully supported them. The thing was, the rest of the boys loved him like they loved each other. But Niall didn't know it. And Niall loved them like Winnie the Pooh loves honey. But they didn't know it. And they weren't about to ask Niall into the relationship (although they would've loved to) because he already had a boyfriend. Well, if you could call him that. 

p>They'd been together for 12 months, but Niall still lived with the boys in their shared flat. He was kind of half moved out. He had some of his stuff at home and some at Danny's place. Danny was a nice boy, on the outside. When Niall first told the lads about him, they invited him and Zayn over to dinner. Unbeknownst to Niall, it was actually to suss him out, see if he was alright. They were protective over him, to say the least.

< p>He turned up in skinny jeans and a nice shirt. He was about 6 foot, so a little over Niall's head, just about Harry's height. He had his hair done nicely and looked pretty spiff for a normal dinner. He also had a black stretcher in his right ear, one of the spikes. Niall was talking about it over dinner that night. Danny had black hair and brown eyes. But not the chocolaty kind like Liam's that you can melt into or the happy kind like Zayn's that can spark up anyone. From the get-go Zayn had noticed a certain fire in his eyes, one he'd never seen in a person before. He decided not to mention it to anybody else, at that point. Besides, apart from that, he seemed like a really nice guy. Maybe he was just being overly suspicious. He was like that with close friends, didn’t want to see them get hurt. That's what he told himself, anyway.

This 'really nice guy' was one of the sweetest, kindest people Niall had ever met. For the first few weeks, anyway. They were all lovey-dovey. They seemed so happy. Perfect for each other. The other boys were sad that they didn't have Niall but happy for him at the same time. Although what they didn't know was that about two months into their relationship, Niall and Danny had a fight. It wasn't just a small tiff, it was a proper fight. 

You see, they'd been going out for a couple of months, and Danny wanted to make it a 'special night' for their anniversary. The only problem was that Niall had never done that before and wasn't sure he was ready. So he told Danny, thinking he'd understand. Although he didn't. Niall was quite surprised and taken aback by Danny's reaction. 

_"Hey babe. Back from recording early?" Danny asked as niall walked in the door, putting his jacket on the coat rack. _

_"Yeah. We finished up a bit early, and I told the guys I was heading over here for the night. Did you like my present I left on the table for you?" Niall asked, smiling. _

_Danny held up his wrist to show off the watch that Niall got him. _

_"Love it babe" Danny said. _

_"Come here" he said, patting the spot on the lounge next to him. Niall slowly walked over, sitting down and Danny put his arms around Niall. _

_"What's u-" Niall was cut off by Danny's lips on his. _

_"What-Dan, hey" Niall said chuckling a bit. But as he started to realise that Danny wasn't letting go of him, he started to pull away. _

_"Babe, stop" Niall said a little forcefully. But he didn't, in fact he tightened his grip on the poor blond boy. _

_"You're mine tonight" Danny growled, and for the first time ever, Niall was genuinely scared of his boyfriend. _

_"What do you- Danny. I've told-Dan-" Niall said, still trying to get away. He finally did get out of Danny's grip, much to the stronger mans displeasure. _

_"Babe, I'm not sure I'm ready. I'm sorry, but-" Niall was cut off by Danny shoving him backwards. He didn't go far, just landed on his back on the lounge. But Danny got up and marched into his bedroom, slamming the door. Niall sat up, confused and hurt. Not physically, but hurt by his boyfriends actions. _

_Niall got up after a few minutes and walked to Danny's bedroom. He knocked slightly on it. _

_"Hey, babe. I'm, I'm so sorry. But I just can't do it yet. I don't think I'm ready. I will be one day, soon, maybe, but not yet. I still love you, though" Niall said, tears brimming in his eyes. Since he got no response from him, he was not expecting Danny to come out of his room at all, let alone force his door open sending Niall crashing into his arms. _

_Niall stood up quickly, going to hug his boyfriend but only getting shoved away once again. _

_"Two whole freaking months with me. And you're not ready? I've been with girls that have been ready within an hour of meeting me" Danny spat. _

_"But, they were one night stands, right? They meant nothing..." Niall said, recalling all the stories Danny had told him of his past relationships. _

_"Does it look like I give a fuck?!" Danny shouted. _

_"Shouldn't we both be ready for this, though? To make it special?" Niall asked, almost crying now. _

_"Well, I am. I don't know why you aren't. You're weak, that's why. You're a fucking weak piece of shit" Danny yelled at Niall, raising his voice towards the end. He'd never heard those words escape Danny's mouth like that. And he'd never seen him like that, either. _

_"I've never done this before, Danny! You know that. That's why I'm being cautious" Niall explained. _

_"You don't need to be fucking cautious. You know me. You'll be safe. I promise. I love you" Danny said, lowering his voice a little. _

_"Not so sure about that" Niall muttered under his breath, lowering his head. _

_"What'd you say?" Danny asked, looking down to see Niall's face. _

_"Nothing. I'm going to sleep on the-" he was cut off by Danny yanking his face up by his chin. _

_"I. Said. What'd you say?!" Danny repeated, voice raised. Niall was visibly shaking at this point, silent tears making their way down his flushed cheeks. _

_"I said I'm sorry" Niall covered for himself, hoping his boyfriend would let go of him soon. He did, and Niall exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. _

_"Good. Come here" Danny ordered, gesturing into his bedroom. _

_"Uh, I think, I, we have to work tomorrow, early start, I've gotta get home..." Niall started to turn around when a hand grabbed his waist. _

_"No, I think you can stay the night. And you know what else I think? I think that if you tell anyone about this, your little friends will be very upset. They'll get hurt and they'll be angry with you. Do you want that, Ni?" Danny asked, using the name the boys use for him. Nobody called him that except his band mates. Until now. _

_"N-no. I won't te-ell anyone. Danny, don't hurt them. Please" Niall begged. _

_ “I won’t hurt them babe. You’ve nothing to worry about. As long as I’ve got you and we’re happy, because I love you” Danny seemed almost sincere, which scared Niall in a whole new way. Danny just pulled Niall into his bedroom and shut the door. _

_He never let Niall go. They laid in Danny's bed and went to sleep. Danny had his hands around Niall's waist, never loosening his grip, almost suffocating the man. Niall never got a wink of sleep that night. He lay there in his boyfriends arms crying silently. Early in the morning when Danny was in a deep sleep, Niall managed to slip away. He grabbed his shoes from beside the bed and his jacket from the coat stand and slipped out the door. It was still dark and cold, but he walked home none the less. _

_The next day Danny showed up at their flat, knocking on their door. Liam answered it, smiling as he realised who it was. _

_"Oh, hey Danny. Want to come in?" Liam asked. _

_"Oh no thanks, I was just gonna ask if Niall was here. His phone must be dead or something cause he hasn't been answering. We were going to the zoo today" Danny explained in an innocent tone. _

_"Sure mate. I'll go check" Liam said as he hurried down the hallway. _

_"Niall, Danny's here. You two going to the zoo today?" Liam asked. He would never admit it, but he wished they were all going out somewhere today, instead of Niall with someone else. But, Niall was happy so Liam was happy. _

_"W-what?" Niall asked, suddenly standing in the doorway to his room. He was fully dressed but not expecting to go out today let alone his 'boyfriend' to turn up at their door after last night. _

_"Dan's here. Your phones dead or something mate?" Liam asked, confused. _

_"Uh, yeah s-somethin' like that" Niall answered in a solemn tone. He walked to the door, meeting Danny's warm gaze. _

_"Hey babe. I've been trying to call you. Wanna go out today?" Danny asked in a chirpy voice. _

_"Um, maybe no-" Niall started but was cut off by Danny hugging him tightly. He was quite suprised until Danny started whispering in his ear, a sharp, harsh tone in his voice. _

_"You're gonna come out with me today no questions asked. You're not gonna tell them what happened or else. And don't refuse" he snapped. Niall quickly pulled back with sudden fear in his eyes. Danny's expression was soft, a bright smile on his lips. You wouldn't be able to tell anything was going on. _

_Niall quickly nodded before rushing to get his wallet and heading out the door. _

_"be back later, lads" he called. There were a few mumbles and mutters like 'cya' and 'have fun' but he hardly heard them because as soon as he shut the door Danny grabbed his arm and yanked him into the car. _

_That was the first time he had abused him. _

_And it wasn't the last._

So he stood in the doorway. Liam and Louis were home, but they were still asleep. Harry had gone to his studio quite early to record some new music. But the other three had the day off. It was 8 AM and Danny had texted Niall to come over. He had no idea why. They were supposed to be going out tomorrow, anyway. Niall thought he'd at least get a couple days break. But no. And it was also so early in the morning he just couldn't figure out why. 

He was worried though. Nobody should ever have to go through this. Actual dread before going to their boyfriends house. He was visibly shaking, and it wasn't the cold London air, either. 

He finally stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He opened up his car and jumped in, backing down the driveway. As he turned to see behind him, he noted the fresh bruises on his sides still hurting from the other night. 

That's another thing Danny does. Forces him to do things he doesn't want to. Some of them are unmentionable, but to Niall, it's all tears and dark memories. He remembers the first time. 

_It was about a week after that first fight. Niall had tried to forget it and move on. He thought it was a one time thing. Danny would never actually hurt him, I mean he must've been drunk, right? He definitely had something to drink that night, now that Niall thought about it. He also thought about telling his mates, but decided against it as Danny wouldn't hurt him again. No, he would never._

_It was early on a Saturday night when Danny asked Niall if he was ready. Niall replied with a simple "no" thinking that his boyfriend would hear his nervous tone and understand. But no. Danny got really angry. He even threw a few things. Niall had tried to leave, but Danny literally forced him to stay. And that wasn't the only thing he forced him to do that night..._

Another one of those episodes had occurred a few nights ago. Niall covered his cuts up on his face with a bit of concealer. He hated wearing makeup, but it was the only thing that hid the angry marks on his face from his caring friends. 

He really didn't know how to end the relationship. He was over it. He was over the yelling, the screaming, the crying, the abuse, hiding it all -emotionally and physically- from his best mates back at home. As he drove in silence, he thought to himself. 

**This is gonna be the end. I have to end it today. I can't keep doing this**.This went over and over in his head. He came to Danny's street and instead of stopping for a few seconds like usual, he turned the corner and drove down straight away. He saw the apartment block he was so used to, the one he hoped to never see in his life after today. Danny was standing outside with a huge smile on his face. But at this, Niall's face dropped. He had no idea what he had planned and he needed to get in and out as quick as he could.

But as Niall drove up the driveway, Danny came to his door and opened it for him. He got out and they walked into his apartment together. It was a bit smaller than the boys apartment, but only he and sometimes Niall lived there, so it didn't matter. 

"Come, sit down babe" Danny said as he gestured to the lounge. 

"Uh, I'd rather not" Niall said, his voice shaky with fear and nerves. 

"Sit down. You must be tired from the drive" Danny said in a harsher tone, teeth almost gritted. 

"No, no it was quite a quick drive. Uh, I've got-I want, I don't want-Danny I don't want to do this anymore" Niall said, stumbling over his words like a rolling ocean. 

"Do what?" Danny asked. He looked genuinely confused. _What a fucking act. _

"This, Danny. I don't want to, to be with you anymore. I'm s-sorry" Niall said, turning for the door which was still open by a crack. 

"No" Danny simply said. But Niall didn't listen, he just headed for the door. What he didn't see was Danny striding up behind him, face red with fury, grabbing his wrist and whipping him around to face him. 

"You will not leave this house and you will not leave me, understand?" Danny whispered harshly in his ear. 

"D-Dan. I just don't think t-this is working anymore" Niall said carefully, scared of what Danny might do. 

"Not working? NOT WORKING?! Why on earth would you think you're good enough to tell me that our relationship is not working" he asked Niall, emphasising a few words. 

"I don't want you to hurt me anymore. Just let me go, please, and I'll be out of your life" Niall said in a small voice. 

"You wanna run back to your little friends, don't ya? And then tell the cops on me. Put me in jail. That'd be nice, ey?" Danny asked with a cynical voice. 

"N-no. No cops. I'd just leave and that'd be that. Please just let me go-" Niall struggled out of his grip but he only held on tighter. The prospect of bargaining with an abuser over police interference was not a position Niall had never thought he’d find himself in. 

"Please.." Niall begged once again. Then, suddenly, Danny slapped him hard across the face. Parts of his body were still aching from the last time, but he knew this would be worse because the last time Niall hadn't tried to break up with him. 

He thought Danny was going to say something else, so he opened his eyes only to scrunch them closed again after a forceful blow to the stomach. He knew that alone would leave a bruise. Then a punch to the side sent Niall sideways. He'd learned to not scream as this torture endured, because he'd just get hit harder. He knows he should scream, yell, something. But he didn't want to make it any worse. 

Then Danny let go of him. Niall thought he could make a quick escape, but that was not an option as Danny walked around him and locked the door. With a key. Shit. He knew what was to come next. Danny had walked away, into the kitchen. Niall frantically tried to fiddle with the lock, with no luck though. The other exit, the back door, was up the other end of the apartment. He couldn't get there without running into Danny. 

But the poor boy didn't have much of a chance to think any longer as Danny emerged from the kitchen. He was holding two dinner plates. 

"No, Dan please, please think about this.." Niall tried to reason, but with no luck he had to duck as one of the plates came flying across the room smashing on the door just above his head, sending shards of ceramic death towards his him. Most missed but a few cut along his face in places. 

"Don't. Call. Me. Dan. Anymore" Danny blurted out. Anger and rage filled his face, and by this point silent tears were streaming down Niall's cheeks. 

Danny walked up to Niall, grabbed his arm and yanked him from the floor. Niall, again, tried to get out of his grip, away from the maniac he once called the love of his life, and run. But it didn't work. It never works, but he still tries in hope. Unfortunately Danny was much stronger than Niall. 

"I hate you. I always have. You're worthless. I don't know why I even started dating you. You're only in this whole thing for the money. You don't care about those other guys, or your supposed 'fans'. I wish I'd never met you!" He shouted, still holding Niall's arms forcefully. 

Now Niall doesn't like to stand up to Danny very often, because it results in an episode like this. Although no matter what he does these days it results in an episode like this. But Danny's never insulted the boys or the fans before and when it comes to them, Niall'll fight for them any day. And hey, he thought, how much worse can this really get?

"I don't just do this for the money. I never wanted to, that was never my goal in the first place. I love the fans, they mean everything to us. And I love those boys with all my heart. They're my best friends. So don't put shit on them, not when this is about us" Niall almost shouted. He thought that maybe his newfound courage would throw Danny off, he might be able to even hit him a couple times and get out of there. 

But this was not the case. Danny hit him across the head a couple more times, punched him in the face again, possibly breaking his nose, and hit him in the stomach once more. Then to Niall's surprise, he let go of the shaking boy. 

"W-what.." Niall started to say, but he was cut off. 

"Get out. I never want to see you again. Go!" Danny shouted. Niall was once again on the floor, so he stated to get up slowly. 

"Get out!" Danny yelled even louder this time. Niall was sure that somebody would've heard all this commotion and called the police, or somebody. But no, no sirens, no flashing lights to save him. 

But he was finally free. He got up from the floor quicker and, remembering the locked front door, slipped out the back and waked around to the front where his car was parked. Niall grabbed his keys from his pocket, his hands shaking, took one last look at the place that would give him nightmares for the rest of his life, and jumped into his car.


	2. Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who’s read this so far x

When Niall finally gets home, he's already a mess. It's around 11 in the morning and the boys boys had gone out to a movie with Zayn apparently. They said they’d be home around 3. 

Niall put his keys into the lock, and with shaky hands, stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and didn’t bother taking off his coat or shoes. Walking slowly, he reached his bedroom and walked in, slamming the door behind him. 

As Niall sat down on the edge of his bed, he had a thought. He took his phone out of his pocket and opened it, pressing contacts. Deleting Danny's number was possibly the best thing he's done in the last 8 months. Along with that, all the photos he's ever taken with/of Danny were also deleted. He only kept them on there because Danny had wanted him to. With that, he threw his phone onto the floor, climbed into his bed and silently cried for what felt like forever.

Louis, Harry and Liam has no idea what was happening back at their home. Zayn had finished running errands and he met up with Liam, Louis and Harry afterwards to go out. They were at the movies, waiting to go in to watch the new Spider-Man when Liam got a text. 

Danny: hey, Liam

Liam: hey Danny! How are u?

Danny: not too good, mate

Liam: whys that?

Danny: Niall and I, we've had a bit of a disagreement

Liam: oh, are you two okay?

Danny: actually, no. We've decided to go our separate ways. 

Liam: oh, I'm so sorry. Niall hasn't told us yet

Danny: no, I didn't think he would. That's why I wanted you to hear it from me. 

Liam: what do you mean?

Danny: Liam, he cheated on me. I didn't think he would ever do that, but he did. Now he won't answer my calls. I don't know what to do. I love him and I want us to work out but I don't know if he does anymore. 

Liam: I would've never expected Niall to do that, are you sure? 

Danny: Liam, I caught him in bed with another guy. I think I know what I saw. 

Liam: right, sorry. I just, I'm shocked. I truly am. I'm sorry this happened to you though

Danny: yeah. I thought I knew him, too. 

Liam: I'll have a talk to him later with the guys

Danny: no, it's okay. I don't think I wanna hear what else he has to say, anyway. It's okay. Just leave it please. There's nothing I can do. It's over

Liam: Are you sure Dan?

Danny: yeah. I have to go anyway, thank you for talking, Liam. I hope I get to see you again someday. 

Liam: yeah, you too..

Liam thought this was weird behaviour for Danny. And it was a very abrupt end to a conversation about how his best mate cheated on his boyfriend. Liam couldn’t leave this, though. He needed to at least ask Niall about his side, ask why his mate felt he needed to cheat on his partner. That kind of thing doesn’t sit well with him. He still couldn't believe it. It couldn't been true. 

Liam showed the conversation to the other boys, and they were all equally shocked. 

"What the fuck?" Louis asked after reading it, passing it onto Zayn and Harry. 

"I, it's beyond me. I just can't see Niall doing that.." Liam said, confused. 

"But, Danny said he actually caught him cheating. How, he wouldn't, I.." Louis trailed off as Harry and Zayn finished reading it. 

"If this is true, I'm gonna kill him. I know he's our best mate, but he can't just go round hurting other people like that" Zayn explained. 

"That's true. But we can't go in guns blazing. We need to talk to him rationally" Liam said calmly. 

"This is serious shit. I’m going home to see him” Louis announced, fiddling for his keys. The others followed, Zayn joining them too, eager to know what happened and why Niall would do such a thing. 

At home, Niall was still lying in his bed. His body hurt all over from the last beating he recurved from his abusive now ex-boyfriend. He wasn’t aware, however, that his abusive now-ex boyfriend had become a manipulative menace as well. 

Niall still had many bruises from previous nights when Danny had been mad. He also had quite a few cuts here and there. Occasionally Danny would get really angry and cut him with a knife or something sharp. He was almost stabbed in the chest by a knife that had been thrown at him from the other side of the room once. Luckily he had ducked in time. The memories went through his head, and he couldn't think of one good moment when he was happy after the first month of dating Danny. It was so hard to get out of the relationship, because he was constantly threatened by Danny. That, among other reasons kept them together for so long. 

He heard the front door of their flat open, and after a few seconds he realised that would be the boys coming home. They didn't know yet, or so Niall thought, so he immediately went into his ensuite and covered up all the scratches and bruises on his face and wrists in case they came in. 

Niall then went back to his bed and laid back down on his side with his hands stuffed up under his pillow. He didn't cry this time, he didn't want the boys to see his tear stained cheeks. 

And sure enough, within 10 minutes, a loud knock was heard throughout Niall's room. 

"Hey, can we come in Niall?" Liam asked through the door. Although he was muffled, he was speaking quite loud and Niall still heard him. 

But Niall didn't answer. He just laid there, trying not to cry in case they waltzed in unannounced. He figured they wanted to know if he was coming to dinner or something. 

"We just wanna talk, mate" Zayn said. 

**Talk? What do they wanna talk about?**

"Go away, please" he begged. 

"Danny told us what happened, Niall" Liam said. Niall suddenly stiffened. He was so upset, so confused, so distraught all at once. 

**Why the fuck would Danny tell them what was happening? That’s the exact opposite of what he wanted. There’s something not right about this.**

"H-he told you?" Niall asked from his bed, his head turned a little to the side to hear what they had to say. 

"We just wanna know why" Harry said in a worried voice. 

"C-can we just talk later?" Niall asked innocently.

"No, Niall. I would've never expected you, of all people, to do this! You're not that kind of guy. We just wanna know why you did it" Louis' voice rolled through the room, sending wild, confusing thoughts through Niall's brain.

**What's he talking about? What did I do?** Niall slowly got up and out of bed. He still hadn't cried yet, but tears were threatening to spill down his pale cheeks as he walked over to his door. 

When he opened it, he saw 4 confused and mad looking blokes. 

"Why I did what, Louis?" Niall asked him. 

"You know what. Why are you denying it, Ni? Danny already told us. And from your vague answers before, we're starting to believe it's true" Liam told him. 

"J-just tell me what 'it' is, exactly" Niall questioned, trying to figure out what Danny had done to destroy his life even more, even though he was out of it. **Am I ever going to fucking get away from him?**

"Danny told us that you cheated on him. Why didn't you just tell him that you didn't wanna be with him anymore?" Louis explained. 

Niall was in shock. He would never, ever do a thing like that. And they seemed to believe Danny. Of course, why wouldn’t they? He was a master manipulator after all. To be fair, they didn't know about all that, yet. Niall had slowly worked it out. Danny had been telling lies behind his back. 

Niall put a hand to his mouth and silent tears started to fall down his pale cheeks. 

"Look, we know you're probably regretting it. But mate, you gotta apologise to Danny. I mean, it's the least you can-" Zayn started to say, but was cut off by small sobs from the blond boy in the doorway. 

"I-I didn't" Niall started to say, but couldn't. 

"Dan's already told us the truth. Please don't lie to us, too" Liam said to Niall. 

But Niall started to shake his head slowly. **The only way they'll understand is if I tell them what really happened. If I show them what he's done to me. Fuck, how has he even taken away my right to tell them when I’m ready?**

He didn't utter a word as he motioned with his hand for the other 4 to follow him into his room. He led them all to his ensuite. 

"Niall, what are you doing?" Harry asked him. Niall stood in front of the mirror, the others stood back a bit. He turned around to face the mirror, turned the tap on and grabbed a face washer that was sitting on the sink. He started to wash his face, wash all the makeup off. 

The boys were a little confused, until he stopped, put the washer down and turned the tap off. Before looking up, he grabbed the towel next to the sink and dried his face a bit. 

And then he stood up. 

He looked each and every one of them in the eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Tears had formed in his own eyes as he turned around, not sure what their reactions would be. Shocked looks filled the room as they took in the sight before them. 

There was a fist-sized bruise on his right cheek. There was another one, quite the same size down on his jaw on the left side. He had a black eye on the left side and several cuts above his nose and forehead from the shattered plates. Some of the injuries looked older than just a day or so though. It was difficult to imagine how he covered all this up, to make himself appear almost okay.

But this wasn't all. After a second he started to lift up his shirt, holding the material just below his chin. Many bruises covered his stomach and back, scratches lined his hips from God knows what. The boys could only guess, and Niall didn't know if he could go through the pain of telling them. And he hadn't even taken the concealer off of his arms yet. 

He put his shirt back down and waited for their reactions. But they all stood silent except Liam. 

"What-who the hell did this to you?!" Liam asked quite frantically. Niall was still silently crying, his arms wrapped protectively around himself. 

"I would _never_ cheat on him" he whispered.


	3. Three.

“I- I would never. I can’t imagine what he’d do if I...” Niall stopped, his voice cracking. The tears in his eyes began to fall once again.

“Did- were you jumped? Oh my god, was this Danny?” Liam slowly put the pieces together, noticing the new cuts only just closed over, right next to old bruises, dark and brown. 

Niall could only nod. He let out a loud sigh, as if the weight of the entire universe was just lifted off of his shoulders, and grabbed onto the sink to stabilise himself. He’d told no one. Nobody knew about any of this. A whole year with this pathetic excuse for a human and 10, almost 11 months of torture. The emotional, physical turmoil he had endured had been bottled up inside for so long, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Zayn was quick to grab his arm, just as his legs began to buckle. 

It hurt, he didn’t hit the ground hard, he almost didn’t hit it at all thanks to his friends. But Zayn and Louis caught him, grabbing his arms and holding his waist. Right where the bruises were. They lowered him to the ground slowly, as he began to fully break down. Not caring what they knew now, knowing he needed to tell the truth, he broke. 

Shattered into a million tiny pieces, each time he stepped into Danny’s house, each time Danny had touched him, each time he received a text or a phone call from the man. Shattered and put back together with tape and glue, only to be broken again. This time, though, he knew Danny wasn’t there with tape to piece him back together. There was no “I’m so sorry, I love you so much” to fix it. And he was so relieved. 

All Harry wanted to do was wrap his arms around Niall and whisper “I love you” into his ear. All Zayn wanted to do was punch the living shit out of the man that caused all of this. All Liam wanted to do was kiss him softly on his head and tell him it was going to be alright. All Louis wanted to do was sing him to sleep and make sure nothing ever touched him again. 

If Niall was being completely honest he would have loved for Louis to sing him to sleep, Liam to kiss him and hold him and Harry to whisper ‘I love you’ until he fell asleep. He was completely broken and for a few months now had longed for the loving, affectionate relationship his 3 friends had. He’d had nothing but bruises and berating for the last 10 months. He needed to be loved. But how the fuck do you love after an ordeal like that? 

He wasn’t sure anymore, he just knew in this very moment in time, stuck on his bathroom floor, he felt the safest he’d felt in 6 months. And it felt good. 

He started to sob, uncontrollably. His body hurt, physically. Every inch of him ached. His mind was in ruins, torn apart again and again by the words and actions of his horrible past. 

Zayn held him in place, held him up so he wouldn’t slump and hit the ground. When Niall finally stopped to catch a breath, he spoke again. 

“Washer. Please..” he asked, and Harry handed him the wet washer he had before. He began to scrub gently at his wrists. Being able to rid himself of the heavy makeup covering his skin felt good. The others had to hold in gasps. Only concealer hid his wrists, long sleeved shirts the rest. He took his shirt off completely, hoping he could trust his friends. 

On his upper arms, purple and brown lines in the shape of fingers wrapped easily around the skin. Bite marks along his shoulders. Scrubbing gently at his wrists, thin green and purple lines traced their way right around and connected. God knows what happened there. Gashes on his back and along his sides were slowly healing, next to deep red scratches that made their way down to his hips. A small indentation on Niall’s side indicates he’d had a bandage around his chest not long ago, maybe even this morning. Broken ribs? Who knows. 

The boys had to keep their mouths from opening, from making a grimacing face. 

“Hey, why didn’t you tell us?” Liam asked softly. 

“He threatened to hurt you guys. I could never live with knowing one of you was hurt and it was my fault. I brought him into my life, I introduced him to you guys. I couldn’t do that” Niall’s voice was cracking again, as his tears silently fell. 

“It’s okay, it’s alright. We’re here and we know now so he won’t ever hurt you, we promise. We’ll keep you safe” Zayn assured him. 

“Did you want to talk about it? Or some of it? You don’t have to, but it might make it better” Louis encouraged. 

“Let’s go sit down” Harry suggested. Zayn helped Niall up and they wandered over to his bed. Niall sat down, Zayn right next to him. Harry say on the end, Liam and Louis next to the three. 

“It began about two months into the relationship” he started. 

“It was little things, like he wanted to do something I didn’t and he’d insist until I gave in. Then he’d become physical, pulling me or shoving me a little when he’d get mad. Or jealous. Which was all the time.” The boys couldn’t help feeling guilty at the mention of this. 

“When he wouldn’t take no for an answer, I knew things had gotten serious. But by that point I was too terrified to do anything, it just hurt more if I fought” those words tasted like lead in his mouth. The others were seething, he could tell. 

“I just- I couldn’t take it anymore. I went to his house today and told him it was over” Niall dropped his head a little. 

“You ended it?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah. I had this tiny bit of courage and thought I could do it. Now I know it was the worst mistake I could have made. Like if he had kicked me out then I could leave all this behind, but what if he’s mad? What if he hates me more because I decided to leave? W-what is he finds me?” Niall started to realise what could happen. He began to panic. His breathing became eradicating once again and he grabbed for the sheets beneath him.  
“Hey, it’s okay. We won’t let him hurt you again. We won’t even let him near you. We promise, okay?” Louis whispered. 

“okay..” Niall answered one a small voice. 

Harry grabbed his hand, freeing his fingers from the entangled sheets. 

“Do you want us to leave? Do you want some time, to think? Or rest? Sleep might be good” Louis suggested. 

“Sleep, yeah I wanna sleep.” Niall confirmed. But quickly realised the boys were leaving. As Harry began to get up, he protested. 

“Wait, please don’t leave. I-I don’t wanna be alone. If that’s okay.” He asked quietly. 

“No, that’s fine, hun. I’ll stay as long as you need” Harry assured. Harry sat down on the bed next to Niall. Niall rested his head on Harry’s chest, holding his arm as if he might leave at any second. Harry was first taken aback, but quickly got comfortable, making sure this is how Niall wanted to lay. Because it’s all Harry has ever wanted since Niall was with someone else. The others left the room quietly to talk about what had just happened. 

It was a difficult 20 minutes when Liam tried to explain to Zayn why he couldn’t go to Danny’s house and break each of his fingers one-by-one. Louis wanted to help, however quickly saw the rational side of Liams argument and assured them it was Niall's decision as to who to take this to and when to press charges. Zayn came around to the responsible idea and went home shortly after, promising to be back the next day.

In Niall's room, Harry ran his fingers through Niall’s hair, as the older one slowly fell asleep. They slowly realised this was going to be a long journey ahead. 

But one Niall was never going to face alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think? Liking it so far? 
> 
> Thanks for reading x


	4. Four.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heya I’m back. How is everyone? 
> 
> Hope you like this chapter. Working on the next one now x

Niall turned over in his bed. It was still dark, tiny slivers of light peeled through the curtains as the sun began to rise. 

It’d been a week since he walked out. A week since he told Danny to fuck off. 

When he turned over there was no one in the room. He still wakes up and expects to see Danny smiling at him or throwing clothes around the room in an angry huff. It takes a second to adjust and remember he’s safe and his mates are downstairs. 

** It’s okay. They’re still here. Just go back to sleep**. Niall tried to convince himself to fall asleep again but to no avail. He still wasn’t fully comfortable with the idea of being alone. So he got up. 

Wandering down the stairs, he wasn’t surprised to hear someone already awake. Harry was in the kitchen making some sort of drink to take to the gym. 

“Morning mate” Harry said as Niall entered the kitchen. 

“Mornin’” Niall mumbled. He had been in and out of moods lately. Sometimes he was up for talking and full conversations, other times he just wanted to listen or be completely alone. The boys recognised this and went with it. 

Niall had begun to see a psychologist to deal with the trauma. Because that’s what it was, trauma. Well that’s what his shrink was telling him. 

“I’m going to the gym, wanna come?” Harry offered. 

“Uh, no thanks. Not yet.” Niall had been reluctant to leave the house. Only for doctors visits because he needed to get out. Apparently. According to his doctor. Usually Harry took him as they didn’t feel comfortable with him going out alone. 

He was extremely reluctant to report Danny. The boys had tried to convince him to do so, however it just seemed too dangerous and frightening. 

Danny was not yet locked up or restrained in any way. He was able, if he wanted to, find Niall and do whatever he thought necessary for the actions Niall had exhibited towards him. Niall seriously feared for his life. 

Danny was fully capable of such atrocities. But the whole house was locked up, and the boys were here, and they’d had someone come round and check the locks and put on security windows a couple days ago. The others were making sure he felt safe and okay. 

Harry said goodbye to Niall and headed out the door. Niall turned the tv on in their lounge room and began to watch a show he had recently been interested in. It started playing, however a bitter memory flooded through him not long into the episode he was watching. He and Danny used to watch this show when Niall would stay over at his place. Niall turned the show off, instead opting for a cooking show he’d found on Netflix. 

Not long after he began to get hungry. ** Food wouldn’t hurt I guess. **

Niall got up and headed for the kitchen. Feeling inspired to do something for the first time in a long time, he grabbed a pan from a drawer and started to make m pancakes. It was about 8:30 now, and Niall heard Liam and Louis rising from the dead. 

As they wandered down the stairs, a loud remark met the man in the kitchen. 

“What in the world is that smell? Whatever it is I want it. Is someone cooking?” Louis asked as he wandered into the kitchen. 

“Niall! What are you cooking mate?” Louis asked. 

“Pancakes. Want some?” Niall asked with a smile. This was the first smile they’d seen on him for a week. 

“I definitely fucking want some.” Louis exclaimed. 

“It’s good to see you happy and doing something” Liam said. 

“Yeah, well I was watching a cooking show and got hungry. Plus I can’t be a potato for the rest of my life, no matter how easy it would be” Niall laughed. It felt good. It felt genuine. He felt somewhat happy. The dark memories and the frightening future were still looming, but in this moment, they were in the back of his mind. Put on the back burner for just a small time to give his brain an emotional break. 

It felt good. 

They sat and ate breakfast while making small talk. Niall hadn’t really revealed much else since the night he’d told them. He kind of shut down the next day. Zayn came back over and they tried to make him comfortable, not really sure what was going through his head. They didn’t want to pry, fearful of the psychological implications. Instead they talked to Niall and with his permission immediately booked him in to therapy. He needed someone to talk to, a professional at least. 

“We’re going over to see mum today. Would you like to come?” Louis offered as they were cleaning up. 

“Um, no thanks. I think I might hang around and see what I can cook us for dinner.” Niall answered. 

“You’ll be alright here?” Liam asked Niall. 

“Yeah, I think I’ll be right. I gotta spend some time on my own at some point. You guys have to live your lives” Niall joked as he put some dishes away. 

“If you need anything call us, okay? And Harry’s probably closer so you can call him too” Louis reminded. 

“Yeah he said he’d be home around lunch” Niall added. 

Liam and Louis headed out not long after. It was around 10 now and Niall headed back to the lounge room. He spent a while scrolling through his phone with another cooking show in the background. 

Niall was looking at an interesting Facebook quiz when he heard a noise near the front door. At first he didn’t think much of it, but after a second his heart started to race. 

**What if he’s come for me?**

It was a terrifying reality that had been looming over him for months. However now it was a much more dangerous prospect, as Danny was furious the last encounter Niall had had with him. 

**No, don’t be stupid the house is safe, the doors locked.**

**but exactly how easy is it to break down a door?**

Too many terrifying thoughts and images were running through his head. He couldn’t think straight. Fight or flight reactions were daring to take over but he was glued to the lounge in fright. 

Niall pulled out his phone. Harry’s name was the first to pop up, this last person he’d texted. He didn’t want to be a burden, hell he should be able to take care of himself. His brain was telling him otherwise. 

Niall opted to text instead of call. He didn’t want to burden his friends. So maybe if he didn’t see the text he could continue of with his day. 

Niall: hey, you busy? 

Within 30 seconds Harry was ringing him. 

H: hello?  
N: hey Harry  
H: what’s up?  
N: uh, not much. Just- yeah not much  
H: you sure? You sound unsure mate  
N: no, I just freaked a little over nothing. It’s all good  
H: over what?  
N: heard a noise at the door. Sounds fucking pathetic  
H: no, it’s not. I’m coming home, okay? I’ll be 5 minutes  
N: it’s okay Har-  
H: I’m coming home. No questions asked. See you soon 

And with that, Harry hung up. Niall felt stupid. Fucking stupid. Over a sound? Pathetic. This is what Danny had reduced him to. 

However, he will admit that having his friends around did make him feel safe. It was comforting to have the people around him whom he trusted the most. Harry would drop everything and be by his side in a second. Liam would stand between him and any physical threat that arose without question. Louis would most definitely whisk him away in an emergency and Zayn would defend him any day of the week. He knew he had a support system. He knew he was safe, however it never quite felt like it. Something always seemed to be looming, just out of sight. Something that make everything feel wrong. 

Maybe it was the fact that Danny was still free. He was still wandering around, doing whatever he pleased, wherever he pleased. Niall needed to change that. 

Niall heard keys jingle at the front door and knew Harry was home. It didn’t stop his heart skipping a beat for a second, wondering who it may be. Relief washed over him when Harry stepped through the door. 

“Hey” he said calmly. 

“Hey” Niall answered. 

“What’s going on?” Harry questioned, dropping his gym bag at the door. 

“Not much, just panicking for no reason at all” Niall answered, not making eye contact. 

“Hey, your feelings are completely valid. You need to know that, okay? You matter. And if you need help, ask us. Promise?” Harry explained as he sat down on the lounge. 

“Okay. I’ll try” Niall said, looking over at Harry. 

“You’re not a burden, love. You never will be to any of us” Harry seemed like he was being genuine. Maybe Niall can put his trust in someone finally. 

Niall smiled a little. He had a safe place now. He had a place and people behind him for the next steps he needed to take. 

He was ready for the next fight. 

Or so he thought.


	5. Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya x thanks for being patient, love you all x
> 
> Thoughts in bold still.

It was 7 in the morning, kind of early for anyone else to be up. Niall wandered into the lounge room. Liam was sitting on the lounge, alone. Another week had passed and Niall was getting into the routine of waking up, making breakfast, bumbling around the house, hanging out in the studio room, and waiting for everyone to come hole for dinner. It was nice to have a semi-normal life again, one where fear of disappointment and pain were not ingrained into every decision he made, more-so an afterthought, as he’d experienced that for so long. 

But he wanted more. He wanted to be able to go outside without the fear of Danny being anywhere near him. He wanted freedom and to be able to drive off for an hour. 

_On his own_. 

How wonderful would that be? For so long, everywhere he went he had to be with Danny. If he wasn’t, he had to let Danny know where he was, when he’d be home and who he was with. Even then Danny would show up or stalk him only to find out Niall was lying, resulting in a pretty hard beating. 

Niall only lied to Danny once about where he was. The consequences were too damaging. 

He wanted to go shopping with Liam, get ice cream with Louis, walk on the beach with Harry or see a movie with Zayn without fearing for his life. He was sick of it. 

Niall looked over at Liam, peacefully scrolling through his phone. Niall wondered what he would say, what Liam’s answer would be to what he was about to ask him. He sighed, almost backing out. For a fleeting second he thought this was a bad idea. But the _freedom_. The excitement of not being attached to the deadbeat that had destroyed him. He was so ready for this to happen, he needed it. 

His therapist, Lara, had told him when he was ready, reporting this was the next step of letting go and moving on. Niall often wondered if she was right. Some of her drabble made sense, some really didn’t. But he knew he wanted this. Oh he so wanted this. 

“Hey, Liam..?” Niall asked quietly, almost as if Liam weren’t to hear him, it would be a sign that this was a bad idea. 

“Yeah Niall? What’s up?” Dammit. All or nothing now. 

“Um, can- can I talk to you about something please?” Niall asked, his voice still low. It was a tactic he had employed while he was with Danny. Using a low voice was useful when Danny was upset or mad, manners made him seem submissive and Danny feel domineering, something Danny liked and would respond well to. Especially when asking a question or permission for something, these tactics were needed if Niall wanted anything to go his way. Usually though, whatever was being asked of, was denied. 

“Yeah sure, anything mate” Liam sat up with a small smile on his face, however his brow was furrowed. Inviting, calm but confused. **It’s endearing how he can express all of these emotions at once**, Niall thought. 

Niall walked around to the front of the lounge and sat down, facing Liam.

“Um, I don’t know where to start. Well, I’ll start with...it’s okay if you don’t want to accept what I’m about to ask you. It’s kinda daunting, extremely for me anyway. And it will get involved. But I don’t know if I can do it on my own. I mean I probably can, but Lara told me I might need support, or some shit like that. I don’t know. Cops will be involved, so maybe you don’t wanna get involved in case you get a scandal in the news but-“ Niall couldn’t stop himself from talking but never came to the point. Something he subconsciously would do if being accused of something by Danny. He would run around in circles forever without exactly answering the question so Danny would get bored and leave him alone. Hopefully. 

“Niall, you need to ask me the question before I can decide” Liam stopped him gently. He chuckled slightly, a warm smile appearing in his face. 

“Fuck, yeah. Sorry. I, uh, I want to report him” Niall said quietly again. He would look up, fearful of rejection. However expecting of the imminent rejection he was, he still did not want to face this situation. 

“Of course. You’d like my help?” Liam asked, trying to look Niall in the eyes. 

“Only if it’s okay with you. Like, 100%. Because like I said, cops, possible court, legal stuff. I don’t know if I want to drag everyone into this because of how heavy it’s gonna get but I don’t want to drop it all on you either and, and this was a mistake, I’m sorry Liam it’s okay I’m gonna figure this out, okay?” Niall started to get up from his position but Liam grabbed his hand, gently sitting him back down. 

“When we said anything you need mate? It means anything you need. We’re here for you okay? You want my help going through this process? Great, I’m here. Where do we start?” Liam sat up, a determined but kind look on his face. Niall knew he has a good support system, he just didn’t expect them to go above and beyond for him. After all, his partner of 12 months treated him like absolute dirt, how was he supposed to know what being cared for felt like? 

“I think I need to go down to the police station and make a proper report. Like verbal, written, all that. And then I want to find out from them if I can get a restraining order for in-between. While all of this is going on, just incase. I wanna try and find out about that on the same day. The moment he finds out I’ve said something he’s gonna come looking for me, Liam. I know it” Niall had tears in his eyes. Fear was evident behind them. 

“Hey, hey. We’re gonna do everything we can to make sure he doesn’t hurt you again okay? When would you like to go?” Liam asked tentatively. 

“If it’s not too much trouble, can we go today? I don’t want to wait and chicken out and never have it done” Niall answered. 

“Understandable. I have a question but I don’t want it to sound judgemental or anything like that. I just want to know what we’re working with. Please done take offence?” Liam’s eyes were now sad, and Niall couldn’t think of what he was about to ask. 

Niall nodded, silently agreeing for Liam to continue. 

“Do you have, uh, evidence of any of it? I’m sorry for asking, I just know if you want to take it further, that’s what investigators will ask for.” Liam looked at Niall, who was staring blankly at his hands. 

“Yeah. One of the first times he forced me to do shit, I went down to the hospital to get checked. I agreed to, uh, have a, have a rape kit done. I guess that was back when my brain was more rational, when I knew what he was doing was wrong. I uh, freaked out and told them I’d be back the next day to follow it up. I never went back. I also have pictures on my phone, I hid them in an app, of the bruises and shit. So many times I almost deleted them, scared he’d find them and kill me. I’m glad I didn’t I guess...” Niall never looked up at Liam, ashamed almost, of his brutal past. 

“Niall, one of the times he forced you?” Liam questioned, visibly concerned. It was evident Niall hadn’t told them everything. 

“Yeah. Um, can we go?” Niall changed the subject quickly. 

“Sure mate. This is good, they will be able to do something with all the evidence you’ve got” Liam followed along, getting up and grabbing his keys. 

“Yeah. I just didn’t know how I’d react when I’d have to go through all the memories again, the photos and shit. Thanks so much” Niall followed Liam out the door and towards Liam’s car. 

Liam sent the other 2 a text before jumping in his car. 

L: Gone out with Niall today, don’t know what time we’ll be back. Love you x 

Niall was absolutely terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks lovelies!


End file.
